This guide is meant to help educate you on how to treat a severe 2nd degree burn in which the skin has been burned off on a child.

This afternoon I had an experience that inspired me to write a guide.  My 3-year-old son got burned while trying to lift a container with Cup O Noodles out of the microwave.  He accidently poured the scalding water from the noodles down his chest.  Immediately I removed his shirt to discover severe burns, one of which had a 4 inch by 2 inch area in which the skin had completely burned off, leaving nothing but skin hanging around it.

Not knowing what to do with such a severe burn, I called my doctor's office to try to see if I could get some advice from a nurse as to what I should do in this kind of situation. This lady told me absolutely nothing!  She informed me that she was not allowed to in the chance that it might backfire!  'Are you kidding me?' I thought to myself! 

I soon realized the only way I was going to get help was to rush him into the emergency room.  What I learned there I thought was super valuable.  For this reason, I thought I'd share it with you.

• First of all, access the burn.  Is there some sensation on the exposed area (after checking with clean hands or gloves of course)?  Does it still look pinkish?

• If so, the next thing you should do is clean the wound to avoid any kind of infection.  The doctor my son saw gently dabbed saline solution with a small square sterile bandage over the area trying to remove any dirt or extra skin.  I learned that at home, you can also use a very gentle/mild soap to do this as well.  Make sure you DAB and not RUB the affected area.  Gently pat dry with a clean rag.

• Now, with a popsicle stick (or similar device), apply a generous amount of neosporin to the area.  Apply it as if you were spreading a peaunut butter sandwhich.

• Next, you're going to need to dress the wound with a sterile bandage,  (For my son, they used a 6 inch conforming stretch bandage) and some surgical tape. 

• Make sure you repeat these steps daily until the wound his healed, making sure to watch for signs of infection like redness.

• You may also apply a cold ice pack if you'd like to help cool the burn, but my son did NOT like having anything on his exposed area, so I would recommend putting it on after you've dressed the area.

• If the child is experiencing any kind of pain, you can give them Children's Tylenol or Children's Advil in their recommended doses. 

This guide is not meant to replace proper care from a doctor.  I am not a doctor myself, just a mom that has learned a very valuable lesson in treating severe burns in a child.  ALWAYS take your child to see a doctor for severe burns.  You could access the situation wrong, and then cause real harm.  But, in a pinch, I hope this can help.